Improvement in rolling-mills



, UNITED Smilies IGNATIUS HAHN, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROLLING-MILLS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 164,679, dated June 22, 18.75; applcation filed April 6, 1875.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, IeNA'rIUs HAHN, of' Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rolling-Mills; and I do hereby declare the following` to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawing forming a-part of this specification, in which- Figure l is an end view of a cluster of rolls embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the same; Figs. 3 to 8, modifications in the arrangement of the cluster-rolls; and Fig. 9 is a view of a device which may be used for securing the rolls in clusters of four or more.

Like letters refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to the construction of plate and sheet mills, and may also be used .in what is known as universal mills 5 and consists, first, in securing the workng-rollto two or more surrounding rolls by means of adjustable attachments, so that the former will always bear tight on the circumference ofthe brace-rolls; second, in clusters of four rolls, connecting the upper and lower rolls by means of adjustable devices, whereby the upper and lower rolls may be pressed close to the circumference of the bearing or brace rolls, and the work-rolls will assume their proper position without special attention being given to the alignment of their axes.

I will now proceed to describe my invention, so that others skilled in the art may apply the same, first premising that the improvements are applicable to all metalrolling mills, whether two, three, four, ve, or more high mills, though, for illustration, I have `selected a three-high mill.

In the drawing, a, l), c, and d represent workrolls, of which a is a roll of such diameter as is commonly used. b, 0, and d are small workrolls,and, if employed alone, would be inadequate; but to retain the advantage of the small roll and avoid the objections, I insert between the upper and lower small roll one or more brace-rolls, B B, to each side of the central line of bothworking-rolls, which then bear toward and on the circumference of the bracerolls, so that the bracing of thoseworkingrolls is such that all tendency of the rolls to spring during the passage of the. pile of metal to be rolled is avoided, the brace-rolls B B and D D grasping the circumference of b, c, andd, transmitting power to and sustaining the rolls b c cl both vertically and laterally.

In addition to the power transmitted direct to the circumferenceof the work-rolls by the iriction between the latter and the brace-rolls, I may drive also the small rolls direct by gearing or belting, in the manner described in my application for rolling-mill filed February 24, 187 5, always taking care to have equal circumferential speed for all rolls.

E represent boxes for journaling the'shafts of the surrounding or outer rolls B B and D D, and, as in the present instance, where two brace -rolls are employed, there will be two bearings, e el, one on each side of the medial line, the central portion of the rider E being provided with guides or slots c2, one or more in number, which receive the neck of the small work-rolls.

Vhere the small roll is placed above the outer rolls it will be, as a consequence, sustained, and its own weight will be sufcient to retain it in position; but in clusters where one of the work-rolls is the lowest roll, as in the case chosen for illustration, such roll will have to be journaled in a separate boX or else suspended by Vsuitable means. I have selected the latter method as the one by which the axial adjustment of the rolls is best preserved, and for this purpose I employ an additional link or coupling device, M, one loop, m, ot' which passes over the end ot' the upper roll b, and the other loop, a, incloses the end of lower roll o. By this means the rolls b c may be forced against the circumference of the surrounding rolls; and as the necks ofthe small rolls turn loosely in the guides on the riders of the outer rolls it follows that the work-rolls will adj ust themselves without special attention being paid to a vertical alignment of their axes. NVhere the cluster D el D is used as the upper set the work-roll d will then be the lowest of the series, and must be suspended by a strap or similar device, which will permit of its'adjustment against the rolls D D.

In-two, three, or more high mills the several clusters may have stationary or movable bearings, according to circumstances; for instance, the lower cluster may have stationary boxes, while the other clusters have movable boxes, the central cluster may be movable and the upper and lower clusters fixed, or the central cluster xed and the upper and lower clusters movable, according as it is desired to operate the rolls.

Figs. 3 to 8, being simply arrangements of cluster-rolls, will require no further description.

I need not give special attention to the adjustment of the work-rolls, as the position of the brace-rolls is such that the'work-rolls must assume their proper relative proportions.

Havingv thus described my invention, I olaimy l. The combination, with the two brace- IGNATIUS HAHN. Witnesses:

T. B. KERR, J AMEs I. KAY. 

